Best day EVER
by chrslauz
Summary: A corny little ball of fluff that is my reaction to "Undead Again". My fangirl heart is squeeeing and I just couldn't resist!


**A/N: How amazing was last night's episode? I literally haven't stopped smiling since. I know this is a corny little ball of fluff right here, but I couldn't resist.**

**Really, really hoping that our DD are in a happy place at the end of next week's episode. I don't even care so much whether they "do the deed" or are officially together. I just want them to be headed in that direction so I can enjoy my summer without agonizing about them! And as much as I enjoy an occasional angsty fic, I want a hopeful ending so that all our fics this summer don't make me want to open a vein!**

**Don't own 'em. I'm just saying- they'd be much better at communicating if I did... (even if it had to be through text messages!)**

Castle stepped out of his shower and toweled himself dry before slipping into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a soft t-shirt. The zombie makeup had been surprisingly hard to remove, and his face felt like he had scrubbed the top layer of skin off in the endeavor.

Around him the loft had settled into the quiet stillness of late night- Alexis and Martha both tucked away into their own rooms, likely sleeping by now. Rick Castle, however, was still way too keyed up for sleep. He grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and made his rounds of the loft, checking doors and window locks, before retiring to his bedroom and shutting the door.

Flopping himself onto his bed, he took a minute to close his eyes and just re-live his amazing day. The goofy grin had not left his face all evening, and it was still in evidence now.

Sleep was not in the cards for him yet, he could tell. Not even a little bit sleepy. He briefly considered flipping on the TV, but he couldn't imagine being able to concentrate on anything else when his mind kept going back to various portions of his day. Maybe he could write—but no, Nikki Heat had nothing on Kate Beckett tonight. He didn't think he could focus enough to churn out anything readable.

Kate. That's what his mind kept going back to. All this time, he felt like he had lost her. Felt like she had betrayed him. Felt like she didn't love him. And in the end, all it took was a few words from her- and now he suddenly felt like he understood. She needed time to recover from her trauma, she needed therapy, she needed to bring down her wall—and now it felt like it was time. Time to move forward. He wanted to talk to her... but 1 AM isn't really the best time to call.

He looked at his phone for a minute, then decided to go ahead and text her. If she was sleeping, she would just see it in the morning. If not, maybe they could have a little text-chat before he went to sleep.

**Hey. Hope I don't wake you. Just wanted to say thanks for the best day EVER.**

He hit send, then got comfortable under his covers and situated his pillows behind him while he waited to see if she would respond. He didn't have to wait long.

_**Not sleeping- still a little riled up from fighting zombies I guess. What made this the "best day EVER" (If you don't mind me asking...)?**_

He smiled as he read her response. Fighting zombies- he can still hardly believe it. He hit reply, and got ready to send her all his reasons for this day ranking so high.

**Well, I'm glad you asked. Allow me to present "Richard Castle's top five reasons why today was the best day EVER"**

**Reason #5- A case involving the undead. How long have I waited for that? Seriously- what an awesome case. Couldn't have written it better myself (and now I have this strange compulsion to write a zombie novel!)**

He hit send, then read back over the text smiling. He really was excited to have worked a case with zombies, even if they were fake. So cool.

**Reason #4- Getting to dress up as a zombie! Life-long ambition: realized.**

It really was a life-long ambition, and something he could now cross off his bucket list.

He continued with his list, which he was sending to Beckett one text at a time. She obviously understood his method, because she wasn't trying to respond to each text as they came. Smart lady.

**Reason # 3- Playing laser tag with Alexis- and winning! Amazing way to end an amazing day. I really have the coolest daughter on the planet.**

He really felt that way, no daughter in history could ever have been cooler than Alexis. Which made the next reason mean even more to him...

**Reason # 2- Alexis made her big college decision today—and instead of going away to Stanford or Oxford (the two she was leaning towards) she decided to stay in New York and go to Columbia! I am SO HAPPY! She can go off to college, leave the nest, stand on her own two feet-but I can be close by to rescue her if she needs rescuing, and she can come home for Sunday supper and laser tag!**

Really, just typing out that text made him want to laugh out loud from the sheer joy he was experiencing from this decision. He was not losing his little girl! And what he was about to gain, he hoped, would more than make up for any feelings of loss he might have when she moved into her college dorm.

**Reason #1- Talking to you. Finding out a little more about whats been going on with you. Making plans to be together when that wall comes down. Highlight of my day. Really- the absolute highlight.**

He hit send, feeling a little bit uncertain of that last text. What would she think of it? Was it too much? Was he reading too much into their little talk? Pushing her too fast?

**So that's it. That's why it was my best day EVER...so far anyway ;-)**

Now he just laid back in the bed and waited to see what she would have to say. Hopefully something light and hopeful to ease him into his slumber with a happy heart. He relaxed and closed his eyes, opening them only when he felt his phone vibrate is his hand. Kate didn't make him wait long.

_**Reason #5- Why am I not surprised that we actually worked a case involving the undead? Your favorite theories over the past few years have involved aliens, rogue CIA agents and zombies... And damned if we haven't had cases involving at least the possibility of all three. I think you draw the unusual cases to you. And if you wrote that zombie novel, you know I would read it...**_

Castle smirked to himself- he really did have the best theories, didn't he?

_**Reason # 4- You made a pretty cool zombie. **_

Totally bad-ass zombie is more like it, Castle thought to himself. Yeah.

_**Reason #3- Alexis is a very cool person in general- great daughter, good friend, hard worker, sweet girl. You're an excellent father. **_

_**And I'd like a chance to beat you at laser tag some day. I bet I could whoop your ass.**_

Castle swore he was going to swoon. A compliment from Beckett and a virtual invitation to play laser tag? Could this get any better? (And he really likes how much she seems to like his daughter—bodes well for the future, right?)

_**Reason #2- I am so, so , so HAPPY for you. I know you have really been worried about having her move far away. Because you are such a great dad, you would never put up road blocks and keep her from doing it if she really wanted to, but I know it would have been hard for you. This is really the best of both worlds—off on her own but close to home. I'm absolutely thrilled for you.**_

She is happy for him. She is thrilled for him. She thinks he's a great dad. Could the feeling of overwhelming GOODNESS and LOVE get any stronger? He thinks he's gonna cry. Seriously- he's choked up. Now though- question of the day- how is she going to react to his reason #1? His phone vibrates just as that thought enters his head.

_**Reason #1- Not really sure what to say about this one. Other than... thanks for waiting. Thanks for helping me hammer away at that wall. Thanks for understanding the things I can't say. I am just so thankful every day to have you in my life.**_

Castle read this text over and over. He felt like he couldn't even wrap his head around what she was saying. She's happy that he waited for her. She's happy to have him in her life. Can he assume from this that she wants him to be even 'more' in her life? He thinks that maybe he can. He thinks that maybe he can start to imagine that future he wants, the one with her in it, the one with the two of them against the world. He thinks that maybe she might also be imagining that future- and that thought makes hope and joy bloom inside his chest. He feels it overflowing through his whole body- pure joy and hope and giddiness and happiness, he is absolutely trembling with it. He wishes she were here so he could hug her, kiss her, hold her... But he is satisfied with this right here, their own brand of communication. Funny that they could be more open in a text conversation than face to face, but he isn't going to complain. As long as they are communicating, as long as he knows there is hope—he is more than OK with this.

All of these thoughts were racing through his mind as the phone vibrates one more time in his hand.

_**I had a pretty good day too. I predict that tomorrow will be even better. Until then, Rick.**_

_**KB**_

Castle immediately thumbs back his reply.

**Until tomorrow, my lovely KB. Sleep well.**

**RC**

And he relaxes into the pillows with a dreamy smile on his face, falling asleep with joy in his heart and hope for a happy tomorrow.

THE END


End file.
